There are many different types of assisting related to a number of health care specialties. Examples are:

Dental assistants

Medical records/health information technicians

Medical secretaries

Occupational therapist assistants

Ophthalmic medical assistants

Pharmacy aides

Physical therapist assistants

Podiatric medical assistants

60% to 70% of medical assistants work in doctors offices. Others may work in the offices of other health practitioners or larger environments such as hospitals. Constantly interacting with patients and doctors, effective communications skills and a pleasant demeanor are a must. Additionally, medical assistants often have to juggle multiple responsibilities at the same time. Working hours are typically a 40-hour week, however some do work on a part-time basis including evenings and/or weekends.

Currently, medical assistants hold around 387,000 jobs, according the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Medical assistants are expected to be one of the most rapidly expanding jobs through 2014. As of May 2004, the average wage earned by medical assistants was $24,610 with the lowest being $18,010 and the highest being $34,650. As with most occupations, salaries for medical assistants are commensurate with experience and education.